Crispy Smoked Pork Belly Recipe
This recipe is for crispy smoked pork belly. Pork belly is a favorite around my house; the kids love it when I make it! It will give you an amazing smokey flavor and the crispy skin we love. It's essentially the perfect pork belly recipe, in my eyes. If you don't like crispy skin, feel free to use only the first half of this recipe for an amazingly flavorsome pork belly.
Equipment
- Smoker
Ingredients
- 1 3 to 3-1/2- pound section of pork belly
- 3 tbsp mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 Tablespoon mustard powder
- 1 Tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 Tablespoon chilli powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons sweet paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 250°F as per your manufacturer's instructions. I like to use a mix of cherry and apple wood.
- With a sharp knife remove the top layer of fat on the pork belly. Score the fat in 1 inch squares. You don’t want to cut all the way through the pork belly, only go around a ¼ inch deep.
- In a medium sized bowl mix together cayenne, chilli powder, cumin, garlic, mustard powder, paprika, sugar and salt & pepper.
- Dab any excess moisture off the pork belly with a paper towel. Then apply the mustard binder. Then rub the dry rub over the top, bottom and sides of the pork belly. Don’t be scared to get in there with your hands and make sure everything is covered.
- Once the smoker is up to temperature smoke the pork belly fat side up until bronzed with smoke. You are looking for an internal temperature of 165°F. This should be around 2 - 3 hours, however, I would advise checking after 2.5 and adjust accordingly.
- At 165°F wrap your pork in foil with apple juice
- Once the internal temperature reaches 200°F, remove from the smoker, unwrap the foil, and finish under the broiler on maximum heat for 10–15 minutes until the skin blisters and crackles. Watch it constantly — it burns fast
- Once skin is crispy (10-15 minutes) remove the piece of pork from the smoker and allow to rest for at least 15-20 minutes
Notes
My favorite type of wood to use with pork belly is cherrywood and applewood. They both complement pork nicely and don't overwhelm it.
How to Get Perfect Pork Crackling
To get crispy crackling, finish the pork belly under a broiler after it comes out of the smoker. Turn the broiler to maximum heat. Place the pork belly skin side up on a rack close to the element. The skin will begin to puff and blister within 5–10 minutes. Watch it constantly and rotate the tray if one side is browning faster than the other. Remove as soon as the skin is fully crisped to avoid burning.